


Not a Happy Ending

by Blurble



Category: Aveyond
Genre: F/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 08:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5327240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blurble/pseuds/Blurble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe there isn't a right choice</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not a Happy Ending

He didn't go down fighting.  
  
"Mel, take a look at this!" He said, turning towards her, grinning.  
  
And then he put his hand to his throat and felt, as if in a trance, the magic-enhanced blade that had ripped right through it from behind. He tried to say something but all that came out was blood, blood seeping out not only from his mouth but from his nose, trickling down his neck and staining his shirt. He held his throat and looked at her with wide, uncomprehending eyes as he toppled over, dead.  
  
"Ed," she said, because this was not real, this was a joke, a dream, a nightmare...  
  
"Edward!" He was still warm in her hands as she held him.  
  
And then she screamed until her throat was raw, felt the magic pulsing through her and there was nothing in her but hate, hate, hate.  
  
"You killed him," she said, slowly, and she barely saw Gyendal's mocking smirk as the magic exploded from within her, the force of it making her stagger, something raw and frightening.  
  
Gyendal crumpled to the ground, moaning, and blind with fury she lashed out again, and again, until the cloaked body on the floor was hardly recognizable as human anymore, and panting heavily she stared down at him with something akin to satisfaction. Her entire body was shaking violently from the force of magic she had wielded- never had she realized she was even capable of this, never had she come even close to this raw, raw power and it made her giddy, made her giddy and unable to breathe-  
  
She kicked the toe of her boot viciously into the soft mush that had once been Gyendal's face and felt his nose press into the back of his skull, he looked like something obscene, an abomination-  
  
She staggered back towards Edward, barely aware of the tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Ed," she said. "Ed, Ed," she repeated, numbly, cradling him in her arms.  
  
With a slight chill in the air, she felt someone enter the room, and she looked up, furious behind her tears, ready to kill kill kill-  
  
Nox smiled, and once again the magic exploded, more easily this time, but the girl just vanished and re-appeared, giggling.  
  
"There's no point in doing that," she said.  
  
"Why are you here?" Mel choked.  
  
"Me? Why, to offer a choice," Nox said. She withdrew something from within her cloak, tossed it up and down in her hand.  
  
Mel's eyes widened.  
  
The Orb of Life glowed in the darkness.  
  
"How-"  
  
"That pathetic little girl with her dreams of grandeur and  _dresses_  was hardly a match for me," Nox said, dripping contempt. " _She_  could never use this properly in any case."  
  
She paused.  
  
"But you... you could."  
  
"This is a trap," Mel said, almost automatically.  
  
"Is it?" Nox said, smiling widely. "I wonder?"  
  
"You're just trying to tempt me into using that so you can... can... fulfill the prophecy and take over the world, or something."  
  
"Oh no," Nox said. "Not me.  _You._  Do you expect me to deny that it will not be as simple as just using this to revive to boy? Because both you and I know far too well that life doesn't work like that."  
  
"Who are you?" Mel said, in growing horror.  
  
Nox giggled again.  
  
"You have a choice," she said. "Use the orb, as only you know how. Save the boy- you do not have much time. The orb of life works only as long as the soul is still attached to the body."  
  
"Fulfill the Darkthrop Prophecy." Mel said.  
  
"Perhaps," Nox said. "Become a new part of a different story, certainly. Become the salvation the Darklings have longed for, for so very,  _very_  long."  
  
"No," she said, faintly. "No, I- I won't be tricked again."  
  
"Patience," Nox said. "I said you had a  _choice_ , didn't I? You've only heard half of it."  
  
Mel glanced down at Edward, and her arms tightened. "No. Even if I- even if I could, he wouldn't want this."  
  
"How easily you say that," Nox said. "How nice it must feel, to be the righteous one. As he lies there in your arms and you could save him. Oh, but he wouldn't want it any other way. He wanted to save his throne- He wanted to marry you, properly- He wanted to tell you so many things he never had the chance to say. He wanted to  _breathe_  and live and grow old- Oh, but silly me. I'm sorry. Of course he  _wants_  to be dead right now. After all, you do know him best, don't you? You've known each other for years now. Have you ever had someone you trusted this much? Someone you loved this much? The whole world threw you away, even your parents threw you away, but he- I guess it was never meant to be, after all. I guess in the end all you can do is throw  _him_  away."  
  
"I'm not-!" Mel said, the half-formed protest feeble in her ears.  
  
"There are two choices in front of you, Mel Darkthrop. Become the villain. Let the whole world hate you- and when have they ever not hated you? Let them think what they want, when have you cared? You were always strong, you always did what you need to do. Save him, Mel- you're the only one who can."  
  
She paused, and her eyes flashed.  
  
"Or don't save him. Let him die here. Bury him, as best you can- He cannot be buried in Thais, with the honor and glory he deserves. So you will bury him quietly and let him rest and imagine to yourself that you will have peace. Peace! The image of his dying face is burned into your brain. The magic that you only recently discovered, that you have only begun to master, will never be yours to control again. It will consume you. It will eat you alive, and those you love with it. You will flee and flee but there will be no escape, there will be no rest only nightmares, his ghost will haunt your every day and your guilt will haunt your every night. What love, for the  _hero_  who sacrificed so much to save the world? There will be none, the world will vomit you up and turn away, you will be the lowest of the low and most despised..."  
  
"You're lying," she said, desperately.  
  
"Am I?" Nox said. She reached up and pulled the hood away from her face. "Do you think I would lie to you, Mel Darkthrop?"  
  
And as she stared into the calm, deranged, glowing eyes before her, Mel felt her heart grow faint.  
  
"Then..." she whispered. "Then which one-"  
  
"Maybe not the one you think," Nox whispered, and giggled hysterically, higher and higher, as a cold wind blew and she was gone.


End file.
